Echinacea plant named &#39;Secret Romance&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Echinacea  plant named ‘Secret Romance’ characterized by lavender pink ray florets, enlarged deep pink disc florets forming an anemone-type inflorescence, a dwarf habit with good branching and strong stems, and excellent vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Echinacea spp.

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Secret Romance’

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofEchinacea and given the cultivar name ‘Secret Romance’. Echinacea is inthe family Asteraceae. This new cultivar is a third generation seedingoriginating from a planned breeding program using Echinacea purpurea‘Razzmatazz’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,894) as the seed parent in theoriginal cross and unnamed proprietary, unreleased interspecific hybridsfor the pollen parent. The exact parents of this selection are unknown,unnamed, proprietary plants.

Compared to Echinacea purpurea ‘Razzmatazz’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.13,894), the seed parent in the original breeding line, the new varietyhas a much more compact habit and lighter pink inflorescences.

Compared to Echinacea ‘Coral Reef’ (U.S. Plant patent application No.12/655,572), the new cultivar is much shorter and has lavender pink rayflorets rather than dark orange to coral.

Compared to Echinacea ‘Pink Double Delight’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.18,803), the new cultivar has more crowns, and a more upright habit,with larger inflorescences that are a different shade of pink.

This new Echinacea cultivar is distinguished by:

1. lavender pink ray florets,

2. enlarged deep pink disc florets forming an anemone-typeinflorescence,

3. a dwarf habit with good branching and strong stems, and

4. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by divisionand tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques withterminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The photograph shows Echinacea ‘Secret Romance’ in full bloom as aone-year-old in the field in full sun in July in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Echinacea cultivarbased on observations of a 2-year-old specimens growing in the ground inthe trial beds in full sun in Canby, Oreg. Canby is in Zone 8 on theUSDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. inAugust to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall inCanby is 42.8 inches per year in the trial fields in Canby, Oreg. Thecolor descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural SocietyColour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 4 to 9.        -   Size.—grows to about 56 cm wide and 66 cm tall to top of            inflorescences.        -   Form.—basal clump, with about 30 stems from the base.        -   Vigor.—excellent.        -   Roots.—fibrous, with many downward growing and few laterals,            ivory in color, Yellow White 158D, roots develop easily from            cuttings from the crown.-   Stem (flowering):    -   -   Type.—ascending, with 0 to 5 flowering branches off the main            flowering stems.        -   Size.—to 58 cm tall to a terminal inflorescence and 6 mm            wide at base Internode length — 5 cm to 9 cm Surface texture            — strigose Color — Yellow Green N144A.-   Leaf (basal):    -   -   Type.—simple.        -   Shape.—ovate to broadly lanceolate.        -   Arrangement.—basal.        -   Blade size.—grows to 10.5 cm long and 5.5 cm wide.        -   Margins.—sparsely serrate.        -   Apex.—acute.        -   Base.—attenuate.        -   Surface texture.—strigose on both sides.        -   Venation.—pinnate.        -   Color.—topside, Green N137A, bottom side closest to Yellow            Green 147B.        -   Petiole description.—grows to 12.5 cm long and 2 mm wide,            glabrous, Yellow Green N146C except at base where Red Purple            59A.-   Leaf (stem):    -   -   Type.—simple.        -   Shape.—broadly ovate to lanceolate.        -   Arrangement.—alternate.        -   Blade size.—grows to 14 cm long and 5.5 cm wide.        -   Margins.—entire to sparsely serrate.        -   Apex.—acuminate.        -   Base.—attenuate.        -   Surface texture.—strigose on both sides.        -   Venation.—pinnate, with 3 main veins from the base.        -   Color.—topside, Green 137A, bottom side closest to Yellow            Green 147B.        -   Petiole description.—on lowermost leaves only, clasping,            grows to 12 cm long and 4 mm wide above the clasp, strigose,            Yellow Green 145A.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—composite on terminal stalked heads.        -   Number of flowering stems from the ground.—about 30.        -   Flowering stem.—grows to 58 cm tall from the base of the            plant to the terminal inflorescence and can grow to 20 cm            long from the top stem leaf to the base of an inflorescence;            branched, with 1 to 6 inflorescences per stem; diameter            growing to 8 mm wide near the inflorescence; strigose;            Yellow Green 146A.        -   Size.—grows to 9 cm wide and 6 cm deep as disc enlarges.        -   Form.—ray florets held slightly reflexed, mature disc is            conic.        -   Immature inflorescence.—grows to 3 cm wide and 2 cm deep,            ray florets held slightly upright and rolled up so only the            back color shows, Greyed Red 182B with Yellow Green N144A on            top ¼, disc color two-toned Yellow Green 146C and Greyed Red            182A.        -   Ray florets.—without pistil or stamen, about 25 in number,            grow to 45 mm long and 12 mm wide, oblanceolate with the tip            two toothed (each acute), entire margins, base attenuate,            glabrous on both sides; topside Purple 75A changing to            Greyed Purple 186C on older inflorescences, bottom side            closest to Greyed Purple 186C except bottom side tips which            are Yellow Green 144A.        -   Disc.—flat becoming conic, becoming 30 mm deep and 55 mm            wide with maturity, overall color is Red Purple 73B            lightening to Purple 75B.        -   Disc florets.—about 600 in number, each with 1 pistil and 4            stamen, grow to 26 mm long and 8 mm wide, each with one            persistent, very stiff linear bract (8 mm long with the top            2 mm colored Greyed Red 182A on tip then Yellow Green 144A            in middle, then White NN155D on bottom ⅓); showy 3 lobed            corollas to 24 mm long and 8 mm wide, tubular on the bottom            with the lobes spread out like a fan, glabrous on both            sides, back side color Greyed Purple 186C, inside color Red            Purple 73B; pistil 7 mm long, ovary 3 mm long, White NN155D,            style 3 to 5 mm long Red Purple 73D, 2-branched stigma            spreading, Greyed Purple 187A; stamen 5 mm long, anthers 2            mm long and Greyed Purple 187A, filaments 3 mm long, Red            Purple 73D, very little pollen, Yellow Orange 23B.        -   Phyllaries.—in 4 leafy series, area 3.5 cm wide and 8 mm            deep, lobes lanceolate in shape, reflexed, grow to 11 mm            long and 4 mm wide, Yellow Green 147B, margins strigose, tip            acute, strigose on both sides.        -   Receptacle.—grows to 12 mm wide and 14 mm deep, White 155A.        -   Bloom period.—July through October in Canby, Oreg.        -   Fragrance.—excellent, floral.        -   Lastingness.—each inflorescence lasts about two weeks in            Canby, Oreg.-   Seeds: 0 to 1 per inflorescence, each 3 mm long and 2.5 mm wide,    oval, Brown 200C    -   -   Fertility.—poor.-   Disease and pests: Echinacea are susceptible to leaf miners, powdery    mildew, bacterial spots, and gray mold. None of these have been    observed on plants grown under commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg.    No resistance is known.

1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.